5.1 actions from 18 th board meeting

5. Science and Instrumentation

19th SALT Board meeting: 8 & 9 May 2006. Cape Town 1

5.1 Actions from 18th Board meeting

Item 5.2.1.1.3 RSS Commissioning Plan: produced and circulated at Dec BEC

Item 5.2.1.2 Aspen Workshop: to be postponed to 2008 (TW)

Item 5.2.4.5 RFP solicitation to build & commission HRSPostponed until feedback to KM from UC VC, Prof Roy

Sharpe. Draft circulated at March BEC. Distributed to Board/SSWG and ready to circulate.

• deadline for initial response (2 June?)• distribution ?

Item 5.3.3.1 Science Productivity summary metrics from SSWG:No developments in light of suspension of full science

ops. SSWG to consider before commencement of “Semester

1” & prior to Nov Board meeting



5.2.1 Summary of SSWG decisions:Image Quality

DOD presented detailed IQ report to SSWG. Conclusions point to problem with SAC, particularly M4/M5.

• Only way to get the observed field-dependent aberrations

• Will potentially involve removal of SAC for realignment

• Worst-case scenario could involve return to SAGEM, but option to align in SA much preferred

• Will involve external expertise (e.g. Arek Swat, Larry Ramsey, John Booth, SAGEM)

Motion:

The SSWG thanks DOD for the effort led in IQ investigation and endorses the plan he has put forward to progress to a solution.

5.2 Project Scientists Report



5.2.1 Summary of SSWG decisions:Near IR extension for RSS

Andy Sheinis & Marsha Wolf presented Concept Design for the NIR extension of RSS

• Development of option considered from Day 1 (provision for NIR beam provided by Ken Nordsieck)

• Really a “Generation 1.5” instrument (will share part of existing RSS collimator)

• Progress on sensitivity/background calculations since last meeting

• Wavelength limit 1.54 to 1.71µm, depending on what is cooled

• Debate on the capability/complexity of the instrument, and possible phased approach for adding additional capabilities

• Cost ranges from $2.63M to $3.36M for proposed options and possibly less for less capability (TBD)

• Funding proposed from combination of UW in-kind (part of Andy’s startup) and a bid for an NSF Major Research Instrument proposal.

• Would not initially leverage SALT funding (until HRS completed)




5.2.1 Summary of SSWG decisions:Near IR extension for RSS (contd.)

Motion:1. SSWG reaffirms that HRS is the #1 priority for further instrument

development2. SSWG views favourably the construction of a NIR arm for RSS with design

details yet to be agreed by the SSWG. The process for arriving at this agreement is the establishment of a SSWG subcommittee, to be constituted by the Project Scientist, to agree with the NIR Principal Investigator on the details of the instrument.

3. Contingent upon such an agreement, the SSWG will support the PI in his effort to raise funding, including providing support in his bid for an NSF MRI grant, including writing a letter of endorsement.

The following persons have agreed to serve on the RSS-NIR subcommittee:DB (Chair), AS, RF, DOD, LWR, SD & TW




5.2.2 RSS Status Report • Report in Board papers (incl. Appendix by Steve Potter)

• Many completion/commissioning issues– SALT Ops/SAAO assisting in these

– Still involvement of RSS Team

• Commitments of RSS Team members (e.g. Eric Burgh, Ken Nordiseck, Naseem Rangwala & Daniel Harbeck) to return at appropriate time for continued commissioning of RSS modes– Will happen once Payload subsystems/telescope is able to fully support RSS

– Additional testing also required for modes before RSS goes “on-sky” with these (e.g. mechanism reliability tests)

• ATP Process still underway

• Biggest issue is the under-performance of the throughput of RSS, particularly in the UV-Vis





Apparent vs Predicted Optics*Detector Throughput

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

300 400 500 600 700 800 900

Wavelength (nm)

C C D 3C C D 4C C D 5EG 21 S litless Spec47 Tuc Im agingEG 21 Im aging BurstM ar 06 Im aging BurstFPR D TypFPR D M in(assum es 60% te lescope reflectiv ity)



5.2.2 RSS Status Report

ThroughputPossible explanations for poor performance:

1. “colour centres” in annealed NaCl blanks (throughput never measured)

2. Bad/degraded anti-reflection coating(s)

• but KHN claims all witness samples OK

3. Underperformance of CCDs QE

• but SALTICAM CCDs are OK (even at 340 nm)

SSWG Motion:

The SSWG recognizes the significant progress made by the RSS and SALT Ops. Teams in bringing RSS to its current state. It shares the disappointment of the Teams over the recently determined throughput problems, especially in the UV/blue where SALT/RSS was designed to have a significant advantage. The SSWG therefore asks the RSS PI to present a plan of action to the BEC, no later the June meeting, to:1. Identify/locate the source/sources of throughput losses

2. Propose appropriate solutions to remedy these losses





Cost to Completion UpdateNo update before Board paper written, but the PI has subsequently sent the

following:

Nominal Dollars2005 Q2 2005 Q3 Delta

UW $3,768,363 $3,787,111 $18,748SAAO $559,492 $605,231 $45,739RU $975,251 $975,251 $0Total $5,303,106 $5,367,593 $64,487

Base dollars (adjusted for CPI)2005 Q2 2005 Q3 Delta

UW $3,361,682 $3,375,563 $13,881SAAO $503,786 $544,425 $40,639RU $852,892 $849,984 -$2,908Total $4,718,360 $4,769,972 $51,612





Cost to Completion UpdateThe UW delta is due mostly to:

1. ~$5000 fringe benefits holdover from last year

2. ~$5000 unexpected expenses to fix the slit mask cutter

3. an overrun of $2000 for longslit polishing

4. $1500 for a new focus linear stage to get extra travel

5. $3500 overrun by vendor (Alan Schier) for the beamsplitter.

Unsure of SAAO delta ($45K) reasons.

• Known small amounts in shipping/handling

• Total in SALT cash actuals is only R50K (R46K non-detector HBS)

• KHN mixed $ & Rands ?

Remaining costs associated with commissioning and Mike Smith slitmask redesign work (budgeted)




5.2.3 SALTICAM Status Report • In routine operation with no major faults/problems

• Autoguider now fully designed, parts in manufactures, crucial components ordered

• Series of modifications/fixes will be implemented when SALTICAM removed for Autoguider fitting (currently scheduled for late Aug)

• Will be offline for 4-6 weeks

• Planning to install newly arrived replacement for Clemens/Reichart camera (“Buckleycam”) in place of SALTICAM, using a “contraption”, during this time– Will then allow RSS slitviewing

– Important for RSS continued commissioning

• No revisions to SALTICAM Cost-to-Completion




5.2.4 HRS Status Report • No progress to report from PS side• PI reported at SSWG on some developments re. quotations for specific items

– Optical fabrication (KiwiStar Optics)Optical fabrication (KiwiStar Optics)– Aspects of mechanical design (farmed out items, like vacuum tank)Aspects of mechanical design (farmed out items, like vacuum tank)

• No progress on Contract draft• No specification document produced yet (PS has requested of the PI a single

spec. document to be based largely on the Critical Design Review documents, specifically the FPRD, OCDD and ICD)– will form Annexure to contractwill form Annexure to contract

• Potential UC funding cover, as discussed between KM and UC VC at inauguration, has drawn a blank

• Following BEC resolution, PS drafted open RFP from SALT Board to build HRS. Was circulated to Board/SSWG. Ready to distribute freely.– Who to ?Who to ?– Deadline for expressions of interest (2 June) ?Deadline for expressions of interest (2 June) ?

• Potential involvement of other parties– Poland, ATC Edinburgh, MSSSO?Poland, ATC Edinburgh, MSSSO?




5.2.4 HRS Status Report • Price to be specified in Contract based on UC’s post-CDR? estimate, minus

expended non-cash contributions associated with design reviews (estimated at $389K, TBC)

• Including 20% contingency on remaining expenditure, total remaining amount required to build HRS is estimated at ~$2.2M.

• Funds available:– $250K immediately (original Polish top-up)$250K immediately (original Polish top-up)– ~$350K (imminent G~$350K (imminent Göttingen contribution from SALTICAM sale)öttingen contribution from SALTICAM sale)– ~$215K (additional funds from UCLAN, but only released once HRS begin ~$215K (additional funds from UCLAN, but only released once HRS begin

construction) construction) [£117K definite according to GEB][£117K definite according to GEB]– Total potentially available (in ~months?) of ~$815KTotal potentially available (in ~months?) of ~$815K– Remaining UC non-cash ~$244K (TBC)Remaining UC non-cash ~$244K (TBC)

• PS (& SSWG/Board?) keen to learn from PI about any possible way forward given the UC stance of no work until all funds on deposit

• Can subset of work begin on specific subsystems to the value of what funds are already committed?

• How will UC respond to RFP?




5.2.5 FIF Status Report • Contracted with SAAO Machine shop to fabricate mechanical parts

– PI acknowledges DOD’s support

• Three stages of the translation stage completed• Revised BOM (Bill-of-Materials) received• Ordering of other components (precision rails, lead screws, etc.) underway• Assembly once items received• FIF S/W control on Payload schedule for later in 2006• Design of interface for HRS fibre ferrules agreed to be responsibility of HRS

Team– Modification required to original “bare fibre” interface due to HRS proposing A/R

coated “window” cemented to fibre

• Will manufacture one pair of bare fibre ferrules for testing• No revisions to FIF Cost-to-Completion




5.2.6 Other Business• Delivery this week of “Dibnobcam” (aka Buckleycam) as replacement for the

Clemenscam/DanCam. At last can return to Chris/Dan (with our thanks)!

• MASS-DIMM instrument arrived (measures seeing as function of altitude)– Plan to build automated DIMM-MASS instrument, mounted on Meade LX200, atop

~5m tower (as at HET)

– Measure Cn2 profile through atmosphere in real time

– Useful to predict good seeing conditions

– Future potential applications for A-O

• May have some funds to purchase two RSS interference filters in UV– Good to test throughput

– Science applicability

• Motivating to purchase reflectometer/scatterometer to measure mirror reflectance/scattering from remaining construction funds– Useful to monitor mirror coatings

– May be useful in measuring RSS throughput

– Cost ~$9000


5.1 actions from 18 th board meeting

Documents